National Tile Day is a holiday that’s celebrated annually on February 23rd. It’s a holiday that’s not as old as holidays such as Christmas or Valentine’s Day since it was only invented in 2017, but it is a holiday that a lot of people have taken notice of recently.

This holiday recognizes one of the most prominent features in many bathrooms and kitchens and encourages people to consider how they use tile in their homes. Although tile was once only available to the rich, it’s now affordable enough to be enjoyed by just about everyone.

The History of National Tile Day

National Tile Day can be traced back to 2017 when a company called Coverings invented it. Coverings is a tile and stone show that has been promoting tile for quite some time now, so it’s only natural that they would invent a holiday that keeps tile in the forefront of people’s minds.

The History of Tile

Tile has been around for quite a long time. As far as historians can tell, the use of tile goes back to at least 4,700 BC in Egypt. It’s also believed that the Assyrians used decorative tiles to decorate the homes of wealthier individuals. In ancient Rome and Greece, tile was used extensively, and many of these murals and mosaics have survived to this day.

For the rest of Europe, it would take a little while for tile to catch on. During the Middle Ages, the Spanish began spreading tile throughout Europe. Since tile was expensive, it could only be afforded by the people and organizations who had the money. This limited its use to churches or other ecclesiastical institutions and the nobility.

During the Industrial Revolution, several different manufacturing processes were invented that made tile more affordable. These processes, along with mass production, significantly brought the price of tiles down and made them more affordable for middle-class citizens.

Beautiful designs and low prices helped to propel the popularity of decorative tiles—a movement that was helped further when Art Nouveau and Art Deco tiles captured people’s imaginations. After WWII, decorative tiles continued to be popular, and they’ve been enjoyed ever since.

Facts About Tiles

Here are some facts about tiles:

• Porcelain tiles are stronger than ceramic tiles, but they’re also more expensive.
• Tiles used in subways are called subway tiles, and they’re 3×6 inches in size.
• Marble tiles are beautiful, but they’re harder to work with and can be expensive.

Observing National Tile Day

At first glance, it would appear that there’s no way to celebrate National Tile Day. After all, how do you celebrate a day dedicated to tiles? Fortunately, there is a way to celebrate it, and that way is by taking the time to take a hard look at the tiles in your home, or if your home doesn’t have tile, then consider adding tile to your home. Tile is a durable building material that brings a sense of style and beauty into any home.